Dian's Bud O'er Cupid's Flower
by RedheadedAndProud
Summary: "I did upbraid her and fall out with her... I then did ask of her her changeling child , Which straight she gave me..." One-Shot. This is my interpretation of how Titania finally gave up her beloved Indian Boy. It takes place between Act 3 and Act 4.


**ACT 3, SCENE 3**

_The scene opens in the forest beyond Athens. TITANIA is adorning BOTTOM with flowers. She weaves them into his matted, equine hair with such tenderness that the surrounding FAIRIES cannot help but watch in awe. They have been trapped in a perpetual state of anxiousness for so long that they are still on edge, worried that their Queen's new favorite will quickly prove unsatisfactory, however, BOTTOM's appearance is a welcome distraction._

**TITANIA: **My love, your mortality is of great

Concern to me. I dip into the pool

Of transience so little I am at a

Loss. In fact, I know not how to proceed,

Save tearing away your deformity.

**BOTTOM: **No! No. For I see no purpose in it.

**TITANIA: **Where else should my purpose lie, Beloved?

**BOTTOM: **Firstly, your purpose should lie with no one excepting, of course, me. It would behoove your purpose to stay faithful; else my purpose might be so inclined as to wander from your purpose and purposes severed do not often make purposes reunited. Thirdly, what is so offensive about mortality? Is it not just as it ends the suffering of the sick and hungry? Is it not prudent to cut life short so innocent babes can be welcomed into Providence with open arms? Is it not brilliant in the way that it out-riddles the smartest of men? Trust mortality my lady. If we do not believe in death, then what shall we believe in?

**TITANIA: **You understand little. Mortality

Is no more than an envious former

Lover; determined to take my love away

And clutch me in its arms. Trust it not, but

Do trust that I could not live without you.

You fall, I shall follow as a Roman.

OBERON and PUCK enter noiselessly.

**BOTTOM: **Call me an ass then. Besides, Roman is a title that does not suit you. Their republic is small and has nothing enduring about it.

**PUCK:** _(laughingly) _What is it that you know of endurance?

_BOTTOM brays in surprise. TITANIA leaps to her feet with ease and strategically places herself_

_between her husband and her lover, feigning calm. All FAIRIES tense at the sight of PUCK and_

_OBERON. They are fully aware of the impending natural disaster and attempt to brace themselves._

**OBERON: **Good evening, Titania. I see thou art

Preoccupied with your latest plaything.

I will return when you have tired of him.

**TITANIA: **Well then, thou shall never return; for I

Cannot live without him. Immortality

Is nothing without love eternal.

**OBERON: **Do not you realize the pain you inflict?

His visage fills me with sorrow and tempts

Me to unspeakable ill. Puck, leave us.

I would not wish my right hand to witness

The mud which the rest of the body has

Been adorn'd with.

**PUCK: **So be it, my lord.

**TITANIA: **Where is this mud you speak of? Is it here?

_Her fingers brush gently across his shoulders as she circles him like a lioness trapping an antelope._

**TITANIA: **No. Surely, it is here.

_She cups his chin in her hands and looks into his eyes._

**TITANIA: **Ah! Now I see!

Although your body is unblemish'd,

Your conscience begs for my forgiveness.

**OBERON: **It does no such thing!

_OBERON slaps her hand away from his face._

**TITANIA: ** So your presence can

Be attributed to jealousy then.

For what else drives men to battle their fate:

Abandoned out of love for another?

**OBERON: **Must you be so cruel? I came hither to

Inform of thine folly! Lambs, in the field,

Newly inducted into the ways of

Life, hath been felled by thy negligence. In

Their quiet, watery graves, frogs croak no more.

Unbearable thirst makes the trees barren

Until the wind whistles of fruitful rain.

Even the Sky herself has lost her luster.

A void in nature swelled with your love for

This ass. I, alone, cannot bear this yoke.

All that is left is ravished, unless you

Abandon thine folly and nurture the

World back in to good health. Your post so filled,

The void shall take its emptiness back on

The journey into oblivion. My

Pain is a separate issue which I

Refuse discussing in such company.

_OBERON sneers at BOTTOM._

**TITANIA: **Your pain is of no interest to me.

The ravishment of my territories,

However, demands my full attention.

**OBERON: **Are they not one in the same?

**TITANIA: **No, surely

Not. For suffering deserved is a whole

World onto itself away from the death

Of Nature's bounty. Olivelilly! Jade!

Pinegrove! Hyacinth! Of you one shall go

Tickle the clouds until they yield their tears,

Another shall sing a spell of growing to

The grass under the shepard's feet, One shall

Dance amongst the tadpoles to strengthen their

Jumping legs, And the last shall murmur words

Of kindness to the overarching Sky.

In the end, she shall oversee the void's

Expulsion in return for her safety.

Now, off! Time is a constant master in

An inconstant world. One should not waste him

Like a dowry in a dice game.

**OBERON: **How, now!

Will not you accompany them? There was

A day when none could outrun you in service

To Mother Nature. What has changed thee?

**TITANIA: **Dost thou dare question my real loyalties?

**OBERON: **Yea, in fact, I must. For who else sees your

Precious love for its true form: Vanity?

The rosy monster of your own desires

Has usurped every crown in your dazed eyes.

Your love for these humans has dashed all former

Responsibilities and pursuits from

Thine visage. Is the world's well-being worth

The fleeting happiness of mortal love?

**TITANIA: **No, no. Nothing comes at so steep a price.

**OBERON: **Then yield me one of your mortal playthings.

**TITANIA: **Surely, that will solve nothing.

**OBERON: **Surely,

That will solve everything. Think on it as

Penance for misplacing loyalty with

Vanity. I will not accept less than

Your beloved Indian Boy for I

Cannot stand the sight of this vile creature

And would kill him rather than tie him to

My retinue. A trade that benefits

All is better than individual gain.

_TITANIA pauses, wrestling with the consequences of either choice._

**TITANIA: **I agree to your terms. Dawnbrier, please

Fetch the boy and deliver him to any

Place of his choosing.

**DAWNBRIER: ** But, will't be safe?

**TITANIA: **How dare you? His class in my esteem does

Not make him any less than your sovereign.

Your implication is weighty, but still

Cannot stoop the sturdy King of Shadows.

**DAWNBRIER: **Pardon, your Majesties, I meant only

To inquire after the safety of

The innocent babe that brightens our hearts.

_TITANIA's anger boils over in response to DAWNBRIER not because the lesser fairy has stepped out of place, but rather because she has similar doubts._

**TITANIA: **Your gall is astounding. Question me no

Further for fear of my wrath. Go with haste!

_DAWNBRIER quickly ducks out of view to fetch the INDIAN BOY._

**OBERON: **She meant no offense.

**TITANIA: **Oh, but it was heard.

Is that not enough? Must I endure the

Death of all respect for my character,

My crown? I will not sit idly by while

She deems my judgment lacking…

**OBERON: **Ironic,

Is it not? How one can describe oneself

Without even realizing? Now you feel

The harsh stabs that you inflict upon me.

"Death of all respect". How fitting that the

Presence of mortals has brought Death into

Our camps. Enjoy your plaything while you still

Can, for no one can guess Death's next victim.

_OBERON melts away into the forest. TITANIA turns back to BOTTOM, her worst fears laid bare by OBERON's taunting. BOTTOM, self-important as always, tries to brush away her fears with his simple logic._

**BOTTOM: **'Is 'lids! What an ass!


End file.
